News

August 21, 2008

If John McCain has his way, it’ll be your last

Seventy-three years ago on August 14, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Today, more than 42 million Americans count on that monthly check to help buy groceries, pay the rent or get medicine. For all these 73 years, Social Security has never missed a payment.

But if retirees, people with disabilities and other Social Security beneficiaries had to count on Wall Street and the stock market to ensure Social Security’s stability – as Sen. John McCain, President Bush and other Republican privatizers of Social Security have long sought – that reliability would replaced by an unacceptable risk.

Retired and active union members in NC defend Social Security

Members of the NC Alliance for Retired Americans took that message to the headquarters of the NC Republican Party on Wednesday, where they walked a picket line and demanded GOP candidates drop their efforts to undermine the longest running and most successful government run family program ever. See pictures of their protest.

Today, members of the Triad At-Large Union Retiree Club hand delivered a signed birthday card and cake to the Social Security Administration office in Winston-Salem.

In July, John McCain gave folks at a town hall meeting in Denver a dose of “straight talk” by describing Social Security as “an absolute disgrace.” Watch video of his remarks.

This from a Senator who himself collects over $1,929 a month in retirement benefits – despite owning eight homes and having a net worth of over $40 million!

So if he’s collecting benefits, what’s John McCain’s beef with Social Security, anyway?

“Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that’s a disgrace. It’s an absolute disgrace and it’s got to be fixed.” – John McCain

Said APWU State Council President Larry Sorrells in a letter to the Asheville Citizen-Times:

“Does he not understand how this system works? Our parents paid Social Security taxes for elder retirees, and I pay the same for present-day retirees… It may be a “disgrace” to him but it is the only means of support for millions of Americans. Most retirees would be proud to get his benefits.”

Search AFLCIONC.org

Must See Video

International Labor News

Archives

Now Tweet This!

Who we are

The North Carolina State AFL-CIO is the largest association of local unions and union councils in North Carolina, representing over one-hundred and forty-thousand union members, fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, workers’ rights, consumer protections, and quality public services on behalf of ALL working people.